Portrait
Henry Darcy

Henry Darcy

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Henry Darcy

Henry Philibert Gaspard Darcy lived from 1803 to 1858 and was a well
respected and renowned scientist of his time. His name is still known among
hydrologists. He is best known for his contribution to groundwater flow: the
Darcy "Law" that groundwater flow is directly proportional to the head
difference. However, he made substantial contributions to a much broader
field of hydrological and hydraulic engineering. As an engineer responsible
for the water supply of Dijon he carried out experiments to determine the
characteristics of water flow through pipes of different material, size and
roughness; and did filtration tests through sand filters of different sizes
and filter material. He also carried out field experiments in open channels
to determine the relations between velocity, cross-sectional area and slope.
As a result of these experiments his name also appears in the Darcy-Weisbach
equation for open channel flow.

His approach was purely scientific and in line with the empirical
approach to science of that time. Besides his hydraulic experiments, he
developed a theory for recharge of groundwater from rainwater infiltration,
offered a rational explanation for the seasonal variation of the productivity
of wells, and provided a theoretical explanation for the occurrence of
artesian wells. Phenomena which in his time were still issues of serious
debate.

What makes Darcy a particularly good figurehead for the "Hydrology and
Water Resources" medal is that his research work was triggered by societal
needs and the complex engineering challenges that came with an urbanising and
industrialising society. An excellent narrative on the achievements of Darcy
and the imprint he left on the city of Dijon is presented in Philips (1995).

About EGU

EGU, the European Geosciences Union, is Europe’s premier geosciences union, dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in the Earth, planetary, and space sciences for the benefit of humanity, worldwide. It was established in September 2002 as a merger of the European Geophysical Society (EGS) and the European Union of Geosciences (EUG), and has headquarters in Munich, Germany.